The Slits

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The Slits
The Slits.jpg
A reformed lineup of the Slits performs in 2007
Background information
OriginLondon, England
Genres Punk rock, post-punk, dub, experimental rock
Years active1976–1982, 2005–2010
Labels Island, Y, CBS, Narnack
Past members Ari Up
Palmolive
Suzy Gutsy
Kate Korus
Tessa Pollitt
Viv Albertine
Budgie
Bruce Smith
Hollie Cook
Michelle Hill
NO
Anna Schulte
Adele Wilson
Neneh Cherry
Little Anna

The Slits were a punk rock band based in London, formed there in 1976 by members of the groups the Flowers of Romance and the Castrators. The group's early line-up consisted of Ari Up (Ariane Forster) and Palmolive (a.k.a. Paloma Romero, who played briefly with Spizzenergi and later left to join the Raincoats), with Viv Albertine and Tessa Pollitt replacing founding members Kate Korus and Suzy Gutsy. [1] Their 1979 debut album, Cut , has been called one of the defining releases of the post-punk era. [2]

Contents

Career

1976–1982

The Slits formed in October 1976 when Ari Up went to a Patti Smith gig at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. After having an argument with her mother, Ari was approached by Palmolive and Kate Korus with the offer to form a band. [3] The next day they had their first rehearsal.

The group supported the Clash [4] on their 1977 White Riot tour along with Buzzcocks, the Jam, the Prefects and Subway Sect.[ citation needed ] Club performances of the Slits during this period are included in The Punk Rock Movie (1978). In November 1978, the Slits toured with the Clash again on the "Sort it Out Tour" and were joined by the Innocents who opened the shows. [5] Joe Strummer said the group would be "great" with intense gigging. [6]

Palmolive left the band in 1978 and debuted with The Raincoats on 4 January 1979. [7] She was replaced by the drummer Budgie (Peter Clarke), formerly of the Spitfire Boys and later of Siouxsie and the Banshees. [1] With the change of drummer came a change of musical style. The Slits' originally raw, raucous and drum-dominated live sound, as captured on two Peel Sessions in 1977 and 1978, was cleaned up and polished to a more bass-orientated sound with the Budgie line up, and their new style drew heavily from reggae, dub and world music.

Ari Up playing with the Slits at the Beat the Blues Festival, Alexandra Palace, 15 June 1980 The Slits-24.jpg
Ari Up playing with the Slits at the Beat the Blues Festival, Alexandra Palace, 15 June 1980

Their Dennis Bovell-produced debut album Cut was released in September 1979 on Island Records, with Neneh Cherry joining as additional backing vocalist. [1] The album's sleeve art depicted the band naked, except for mud and loincloths. [1] It is often claimed that Palmolive left partly because she did not like the album artwork, [8] including by Palmolive herself, [9] but Viv Albertine has stated that Palmolive had been asked to leave the band several months previously, [10] and she does not appear on the record.

The Slits' sound and attitude became increasingly experimental and avant-garde during the early 1980s, when they formed an alliance with Bristol post-punk band the Pop Group, sharing drummer Bruce Smith and releasing a joint single, "In the Beginning There Was Rhythm / Where There's a Will..." (Y Records). This was followed by an untitled compilation album of mostly homemade demos and live performances from before the release of Cut. The band toured widely and released their second studio album, Return of the Giant Slits , before breaking up in early 1982. [1] [8] Ari Up went on to be part of the New Age Steppers. [1]

2005–2010

Ari Up and Tessa Pollitt reformed the band with new members in 2005, as Viv Albertine was unwilling to rejoin, and in 2006 released the EP Revenge of the Killer Slits. [4] The EP featured former Sex Pistols member Paul Cook and former Adam and the Ants members Chris Constantinou and Marco Pirroni as both musicians and co-producers. [11] Cook's daughter Hollie played with the band, singing and playing keyboards. Other members of the reformed band were No (of the Home Office) on guitar, German drummer Anna Schulte, and Adele Wilson on guitar. [12]

The band toured the United States for the first time in twenty-five years during 2006's 'States of Mind' tour, and followed this with tours of Australia and Japan, as well as opening for Sonic Youth at New York's McCarren Park Pool. [13] Adele Wilson and No left the band, to be replaced by American guitarist Michelle Hill. A biography – Typical Girls? The Story of the Slits by Zoë Street Howe was published in the UK by Omnibus Press in July 2009, [14] and the band's third full-length album entitled Trapped Animal was released three months later. [15]

Founding member Ari Up died in Los Angeles in October 2010 at the age of 48. [16] The band's final work, the video for the song "Lazy Slam" from Trapped Animal, was released posthumously according to Ari Up's wishes. [17] A final song, the unreleased 1981 recording "Coulda Woulda Shoulda", was due to be released in early 2011. [18]

Personnel

Members

Lineups

19761976–19781978–19801980–1982
  • Ari Up – vocals
  • Kate Korus – guitar
  • Suzy Gutsy – bass guitar
  • Palmolive – drums
  • Ari Up – vocals
  • Viv Albertine – guitar
  • Tessa Pollitt – bass guitar
  • Palmolive – drums
  • Ari Up – vocals
  • Viv Albertine – guitar
  • Tessa Pollitt – bass guitar
  • Budgie – drums
  • Ari Up – vocals
  • Viv Albertine – guitar
  • Tessa Pollitt – bass guitar
  • Bruce Smith – drums
1982–20052005–2010

Disbanded

  • Ari Up – vocals
  • Hollie Cook – backing vocals
  • No – guitar, backing vocals
  • Adele Wilson – guitar
  • Michelle Hill – guitar
  • Tessa Pollitt – bass guitar
  • Anna Schulte – drums
  • Anna Ozawa – melodica, keyboard

Timeline

The Slits

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Singles and EPs

Documentary

In 2018 a documentary film was released, Here To Be Heard: The Story of The Slits. [23]

The band’s name appears in the lyrics of the Le Tigre song "Hot Topic." [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Raincoats</span> British experimental post-punk band

The Raincoats are a British experimental post-punk band. Ana da Silva and Gina Birch formed the group in 1977 while they were students at Hornsey College of Art in London.

The Flowers of Romance was an early punk band, formed in mid-1976 by Jo Faull and Sarah Hall, girlfriends at the time of Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols. The band did not release any recordings and, like London SS and Masters of the Backside, are more famed for the number of band members that later became well known, including: Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols, Keith Levene, Palmolive and Viv Albertine of The Slits, and Kenny Morris. Morris replaced Palmolive on drums in the last months of the band's existence in late 1976. The band ended in January 1977 when Vicious joined Sex Pistols and Morris rehearsed with Siouxsie. Despite never playing live, they were interviewed by SKUM fanzine in which Sid Vicious proclaimed "I'll just be the yob that I am now".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neneh Cherry</span> Swedish singer and songwriter (born 1964)

Neneh Mariann Karlsson ; born 10 March 1964), better known as Neneh Cherry, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, rapper, occasional disc jockey, and broadcaster. Her musical career started in London in the early 1980s, where she performed in a number of punk and post-punk bands in her youth, including the Slits and Rip Rig + Panic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-Nowhere League</span> English punk rock band

Anti-Nowhere League are an English punk rock band, formed in 1979 by lead singer Animal, guitarist Magoo, Bones on drums and Chris Elvy on bass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Budgie (musician)</span> English drummer

Peter Edward Clarke, known professionally as Budgie, is an English drummer best known for his work in Siouxsie and the Banshees. He is also the co-founder of the Creatures.

<i>Cut</i> (The Slits album) 1979 studio album by the Slits

Cut is the debut studio album by English punk band the Slits, released on 7 September 1979. It was recorded at Ridge Farm Studios in Rusper and produced by Dennis Bovell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ari Up</span> German vocalist (1962–2010)

Ariane Daniele Forster, known by her stage name Ari Up, was a German vocalist best known as a member of the English punk rock band the Slits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.K. Subs</span> English punk rock band

U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. One of the first hardcore punk bands, elements of rhythm and blues music - including harmonica - also remained an occasional element of their work.

Paloma McLardy, known as Palmolive, is a Spanish drummer and songwriter who was a member of influential early punk bands. She founded the Slits toward the end of 1976. After leaving that group in 1978, she joined the Raincoats and performed on their first album, The Raincoats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viv Albertine</span> Australian-born British musician and writer

Viviane Katrina Louise Albertine is an Australian-born English musician, singer, songwriter and writer. She is best known as the guitarist for the punk band the Slits from 1977 until 1982, with whom she recorded two studio albums. Prior to joining the Slits, Albertine was a member of the Flowers of Romance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Train in Vain</span> 1980 single by the Clash

"Train in Vain" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released as the third and final single from their third studio album, London Calling (1979). The song was not originally listed on the album's track listing, appearing as a hidden track at the end of the album. This was because the track was added to the record at the last minute, when the sleeve was already in production. Some editions include the song in the track listing. It was the first Clash song to reach the United States Top 30 charts and in 2010, the song was ranked number 298 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tessa Pollitt</span> British musician

Teresa Mary Clare Pollitt is an English musician who is best known as the bass guitarist for the punk rock band the Slits between 1976 and 1982.

LiLiPUT, initially known as Kleenex, were a Swiss punk rock band formed in Zürich in 1978. The band experienced numerous line-up changes throughout their existence, with bassist Klaudia Schiff being the only constant member of the band over their entire history. Guitarist Marlene Marder joined the group shortly after their formation, and remained a member until their 1983 split. LiLiPUT's final line-up consisted of Schiff, Marder, and lead vocalist Astrid Spirit, and it was in this incarnation that the band recorded their only full-length studio albums, Liliput (1982) and Some Songs (1983).

Mo-dettes were an English all-female post-punk band, formed in 1979 by guitarist Kate Korris, an original member of the Slits and brief member of the Raincoats, and bassist Jane Crockford, a former member of Bank of Dresden. Ramona Carlier (vocals) and June Miles-Kingston (drums) completed the line-up.

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Bruce Neal Smith is an American musician best known as the drummer for post-punk band The Pop Group. He has also been a member of The Slits and the New Age Steppers and is currently performing with Public Image Ltd. He was raised and educated in Bristol, England and was once married to Neneh Cherry.

New Age Steppers were a dub collective from the United Kingdom, formed by producer Adrian Sherwood and featuring members of various prominent 1970s UK post-punk groups, including Ari Up and Viv Albertine of the Slits, Mark Stewart and Bruce Smith of The Pop Group, Keith Levene of Public Image Ltd, John Waddington of Rip Rig + Panic, and Vicky Aspinall of The Raincoats. Other musicians included associates of Sherwood's On-U Sound label, including Errol Holt, George Oban, Bim Sherman, Style Scott, and Eskimo Fox.

<i>Trapped Animal</i> 2009 studio album by the Slits

Trapped Animal is the third and final studio album by English punk band the Slits. It was released on 6 October 2009, and was their first album since their 2006 reunion which initially resulted in the EP Revenge of the Killer Slits. Founding vocalist Ari Up and bassist Tessa Pollitt returned, although the rest of the band underwent significant lineup changes introducing Hollie Cook on backing vocals, Adele Wilson on guitar, Little Anna on keyboards and melodica and Anna Schulte on drums. Trapped Animal received mixed to negative reviews from critics upon release. The Slits continued to tour the album until the following year when Up died after a two year battle with breast cancer, causing the band to disband permanently.

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<i>Return of the Giant Slits</i> 1981 studio album by the Slits

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in punk rock</span> Womens music history

Women have made significant contributions to punk rock music and its subculture since its inception in the 1970s. In contrast to the rock music and heavy metal scenes of the 1970s, which were dominated by men, the anarchic, counter-cultural mindset of the punk scene in mid-and-late 1970s encouraged women to participate. This participation played a role in the historical development of punk music, especially in the US and UK at that time, and continues to influence and enable future generations. Women have participated in the punk scene as lead singers, instrumentalists, as all-female bands, zine contributors and fashion designers.

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